Amitriptyline and Sleep – The Latest Research 2019

With the several issues flooding the internet, social media, and lots, it’ll be very necessary to deliberate on these issues about Amitriptyline. This is going to enlighten you more on the issue of Amitriptyline and Sleep.

I struggled with severe long-term insomnia between the ages of 16-29, for 13 good years. I took many classes, tried several online classes, exercises and even meditations and hypnosis, but it was all to no avail. I tried all I could, and judiciously followed my counselor’s instructions and suggestions. After all these years of waiting, it was a lung specialist who suggested that I try the Amitriptyline. He suggested that I start with 50 mg, this helped to some extent but wasn’t in any way efficient and effective as when I started taking the 100 mg. Since then, I’ve been sleeping just like and even more than any other normal person.

It’s over two years now that I’ve not been sleeping with any aid and I never thought this could be possible. This medication really improved my life and gave me a feeling I never dreamt I could get.

However, this medication came with some minor side effect such as weight gain and change of appetite. I just dealt with the weight gain, by being careful of my intakes and meal composition.

Amitriptyline as an Insomnia Treatment

Amitriptyline is an off-label medication for depression, available only for prescription by a medical practitioner.

Just like most anti-depressants, it could be used as an alternative treatment for insomnia. Most of these medications, are not FDA approved for these alternative uses but could see their way to the top as popular because of relative effectiveness in such situations. The effectiveness of the medication has made it a perfect substitute for treating pain, and lots more

A Quick Breakdown of How Amitriptyline Works

As an anti-depressant, Amitriptyline works by suppressing the cycling of both serotonin and norepinephrine. These two neurotransmitters (serotonin and norepinephrine) account for automatic mood and body responses. When these two hormones are short or reduced, then the symptoms of depression and often times, insomnia will definitely surface.

It’s very important to note that amitriptyline is manufactured as an anti-depressant and not a sleep aid, but nevertheless, its effectiveness and usefulness as an aid has made it much more popular. It has many benefits, compared to most medications designed mainly as a sleep aid. One crucial benefit is the drugs long half-life, which makes it last for 12-24 hours, a good quality which surpasses most Insomnia medications.

Most sleep conditions don’t allow the patients to get a full night’s sleep, such that the patient wakes later in the night and won’t be able to sleep again, but the bioactivity of amitriptyline is always supportive.

How Can Amitriptyline be used to Improve Sleep?

One advantage amitriptyline has over other drugs like benzodiazepines (Dalmane), you cannot get addicted to the medications. In addition to that, there’s no significant reaction after withdrawal.

The Most Recorded Side Effects Amitriptyline

There are some side effects that come with Amitriptyline, which ranges from restlessness, mood or behavioral changes, but you’ll always have to make sure you report to a physician so they’ll take the necessary steps.

Nevertheless, here’s a small list of these side effects:

Abnormal thoughts or behavior

A light-headed feeling

Chest pain or pressure

Nausea

Pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder

Sweating

Pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest

Confusion, delusions, or hallucinations

A seizure (convulsions)

Painful or difficult urination

Severe constipation

Easy bruising, unusual bleeding

Sudden weakness or ill feeling, fever, chills

A sore throat, mouth sores, red or swollen gums, trouble swallowing.

Diarrhea

Vomiting, upset stomach

Mouth pain, unusual taste, black tongue

Appetite or weight changes

Urinating less than usual

Itching or rash

Breast swelling (for both men and women)

Decreased sex drive or impotence

Difficulty having an orgasm

What are the Top Problems Associated with Amitriptyline?

There are several problematic side effects that are associated with amitriptyline, such as dry mouth, increased heart rate, blurred vision, and urinary retention. Furthermore, it can enhance a sudden drop in sugar level that can make you dizzy.

Amitriptyline actually helps with sleep issues, but the improvement is not steady, it goes down over time. In addition to this, the medication causes cardiac conduction problems that could give chance for heart failure.

Easiest Way to go about These Problems – Dosage

These side effects caused by amitriptyline should be controlled, and in a bid for that, we considered ‘dosage’.

Most physicians normally prescribe this drug for their patients and administer a low dosage. After a few periods of time, the adverse and therapeutic effects of the medication will be monitored, after which the physician either top’s up to the dose, or reduces it. If reduced, there’ll still be observations to see whether these side effects will persist, or even become more intolerable. For intolerable cases, there’ll always be no better approach than total withdrawal, but if not, the patient’s suitability dose could be studied.

Conclusion

In brief, amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant medication which causes many side effects, including tiredness and restfulness.

Conversely, it’s active and effective for treating pains related to neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia. This means that it could be used for any sleep issues and defect that is associated with pain and clinical depression. But it is still not vindicated for isolated sleep problems.